What goes on in Washington seems like a world away. However, as a registered nurse living in Pelham, I know that the ideas politicians come up with about health care can spread quickly from the halls of Congress to the doctor’s office. That’s why I recently went to our nation’s capital to meet with Alabama members of Congress.
We were able to meet with the staff for U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover), U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery). We spoke with them and answered many questions about the importance of “specialty pharmacies,” a lesser-known but vital part of today’s health care system that has a significant impact on Alabama residents.
For the past 12 years, I’ve worked at Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, serving patients with complex and chronic health conditions, including over 30,000 patients in Alabama. Specialty pharmacies provide medications and associated clinical services for people managing complex conditions such as cancer, hemophilia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis. Many specialty therapies require infusion, and Accredo has nurses who visit patients’ homes to administer these infusions directly or provide education and support for patients who self-infuse these complex medications.
In addition to nursing services, Accredo has other clinical support available, including nutritionists and social workers. Simply put, specialty pharmacies like Accredo do much more than provide medication. We deliver highly specialized care.
However, in conversations I had in Washington, the role a specialty pharmacy plays is still a mystery to many. In addition to having knowledgeable pharmacists dispensing medications and providing patient counsel, specialty pharmacies play a critical role in treating some of the most complicated and rare diseases known today, and it’s important that policymakers understand the care our pharmacy provides when they are thinking about our health care.
Our services can even be a matter of life or death. For example, some patients receiving infused and oral/inhalation therapies for conditions that threaten their cardiac and pulmonary health need to “titrate,” or change their dose, throughout each treatment to avoid otherwise life-threatening conditions. At the same time, they must be monitored closely at each dosage to make sure they aren’t experiencing any side effects.
We work closely with the prescribers and provide updates regarding their patients. Today, by using a specialty pharmacy, patients can not only get the treatment they need at home, but they can also be monitored, and side effects can be addressed by a nurse when necessary. The same goes for the innovative enzyme replacement and immunoglobulin therapies we provide, among others.
I was proud to give policymakers an inside look at how many of their constituents receive care from specialty pharmacies like Accredo. I was heartened by their interest and curiosity about the work we do. Many agreed that the role of specialty pharmacies is critical to improving the health of Americans. I hope that Congress will remember the impact that specialty pharmacies have on patients here in Alabama when they are debating health care issues in Washington, D.C.
Leslie Smith, BSN, RN, lives in Pelham, Alabama. She works as a Nurse Case Management Manager for Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy that serves patients with complex and chronic health conditions.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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